Thread tension regulating means for reeling machines and the like



y 1956 J. vlLA REYES THREAD TENSION REGULATING MEANS FOR REEL-ING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed May 3, 1954 wit {UNI @T 1 A m2; (9121501 QT .VC Laifieyea M United States Patent THREAD TENSIQN REGULATING NIEANS FOR REELING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Juan Vila Reyes, Barcelona, Spain Application May 3, 1954, Serial No. 427,122

Claims priority, application Spain May 8, 1953 4 Claims. (Cl. 242-150) In reeling and winding machines, cop-winding and hank-winding machines and other machines used in the spinning industry, one of the problems which frequently causes difiiculty is that associated with maintaining a constant tension during the unwinding of the thread, or at any rate, a tension which varies only Within narrow limits, as the possible variations in the tension of the threads frequently give rise to breakages, stoppages of the machine, and, above all, have a detrimental effect on the quality of the finished article.

A number of thread-tensioning devices have been devised with the above object in view but the results have not been satisfactory as they are all based on the application of tensions of a given maximum or minimum value for each type of thread, these mechanisms being unable however to correct possible variations in the tension of the thread due to accidental changes in the operation of the machine.

The object of the present invention is a mechanism for regulating the tension of the thread, which provides a variation in the value of the efiective pressure or retention eifected on the thread inversely proportional to the increase in the tension the thread may undergo during movement for any reason.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic arrangement or mechanism by means of which the tension of the thread is never able to exceed a previously determined limit so that breaks cannot take place for this reason. Finally, it is the object of the invention to provide a regulating mechanism which operates for the slightest variations taking place during the unwinding of the thread enabling the tension of the latter to be kept within very close limits so that it is practically constant in value.

The regulating mechanism according to the present invention consists of one or more sets of tension arrangements consisting of pairs of plates mounted on fixed sleeves inside of which there is a spindle able to move in axial direction, in combination with an oscillating lever for each tension arrangement, this oscillating lever being provided at one end with a thread-guide ring, its other end being coupled to the displaceable spindle of the tension arrangement, the plates of the latter being loaded by a helical spring which is retained by an adjustable nut at the upper end of the spindle and at the same time, the lever of the thread guide is under the action of a spring adjustable in tension which acts on the spindle of the plates so that if the tension of the thread passing through the tension arrangement and the thread-guide increases, this increase in tension causes the lever to oscillate, displacing the spindle of the tension arrangement, thus relaxing the pressure of the latter on the thread.

The apparatus may consist very advantageously of two tightening or tensioning arrangements formed by plates as mentioned in combination with oscillating levers provided with thread-guides, one of these extending at each side of the apparatus, that is, an inlet thread-guide and another outlet thread-guide, both the levers being connected together so that the movement of one of the threadguides acts at the same time on both the tension arrangements.

In addition, the regulating spring of the above-mew tioned lever or levers is fixed to a sliding part mounted on a screw-threaded rod provided with a button which can be rotated from the outside, this means enabling the tension of the spring to be regulated for each special case.

A preferred form of construction of the regulating mechanism according to the present invention is shown in the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a view of the whole of the mechanism, some of the parts being in section;

Figure 2 is a plan view through the line 11-11 of Figure 1.

As may be seen in the drawing, the mechanism consists of a base or support frame 10 provided at its top part with a flange or platform 11, the latter having fixed to it two sleeves 12.

Above this platform there is a layer of felt or smooth material 13 on which rest the pairs of plates 14 concentric with the sleeves and around the latter there is in each case a sleeve 14 made of some suitable material for diminishing the friction of the thread passing between the plates. Inside the sleeves are the spindles 15, i5 able to slide axially or up and down, these spindles being provided with a top screw-threaded portion provided with a screwed-on ring 16 and lock nut 17, a helical spring 18 being arranged between the said ring and the top plate of each pair.

The frame 10 is provided, under the platform, with two transverse pivots 20 and 21 on which are mounted in oscillating manner the levers or arms supporting the thread guides. The pivot 20 supports the thread guide of one of the sides consisting of a wire arm 22 and an end thread-guide 23 made of porcelain or some suitable material. The wire arm 22 is rigidly connected to the arm of a lever 24 the end of which is pivotally connected to the lower end of the spindle 15' of the pair of plates of the opposite side by means of a pin 25.

In a similar manner, the pivot 21 of the frame supports an arm 27 which terminates in a thread-guide 28 made of wire or of any other type. This arm 27 is rigidly connected to another inside lever arm 29, the end of which is coupled to the bottom end of the spindle 15 of the pair of plates on the opposite side, the inside arms of both the levers 24 and 29 being coupled together by means of a pin 31 in one of the lever arms and a hole 32 in the other arm.

At the central part of the frame there is a cavity in which is fitted vertically the screw-threaded spindle 35 which can be turned by hand by means of the button 36 which is accessible at the sides through the lower end of the frame. This screw-threaded spindle 35 is provided with a sleeve or nut 36 having an arm 37 which supports the end of a spring 38 the other end of which is fixed to one of the two inside lever arms, e. g. the arm 24 as shown in Figure 1. By turning the spindle and button 36 more or less tension can be given to the spring 38 which transmits it to the spindles of the plates. At the bottom of the frame there is a fixing screw 46 for enabling the regulation made by the central spindle 35 to be fixed to prevent it from varying accidentally during working.

The apparatus is also provided at its rear part or in any suitable position with a support or projecting part 41 for connecting it to some suitable part of the reeling machine or machine concerned. The elements illustrated can be covered and protected by a front plate 42 fixed to the frame by means of screws 43 on to a button or boss part 44 or by means of any other suitable arrangement.

The thread which is unwinding passes through the end threadguides 23 and 28 and between the friction plates. Any increase in tension taking place at a part of the thread in front or or after the apparatus will cause the arms 22 and 27 to oscillate and this oscillation causes the upward displacement of the spindles 15 and 15 of the two sets of plates at the same time whereby the pressure or braking action on the thread is relaxed, the tension being maintained within the limits mentioned. The movement in question of the spindles 15, 15 is rendered more easy through the provision of an enlarged part 45 of curved or ball shape on the spindles enabling these spindles to slide smoothly in the inside of the sleeve without any difiiculty.

I claim:

1. A thread tension regulating mechanism for use in reeling and like machines comprising a frame, two sets of tensioning devices carried by the frame, each set including a sleeve mounted in the frame, a pair of discs loosely carried on each sleeve for receiving the thread therebetween, an axially movable spindle within each sleeve extending through both discs with a portion projecting above the upper disc, adjustable regulating means on the projecting portion of each disc, a spring surrounding each spindle between the regulating means and the upper disc to independently regulate each tension device, a pair of rocking levers pivotally mounted on the frame, one of the levers being located at the inlet side of the machine, a thread eye at the distal end of such lever, a pivotal connection between such lever and the lower end of the spindle at the outlet side of the machine, the other lever being located at the outlet side of the machine, a thread eye at the distal end of the other lever, a pivot connection between the other lever and the lower end of the spindle at the inlet side of the machine, the inner portions of the levers crossing each other, means defining a slot in the inner portion of one of the levers and a pin on the other lever extending through the slot to connect the levers together and spring means connected to one of the levers serving to oppose the action of the springs surrounding the spindles suchwise that the over tension of the thread in either the inlet or outlet thread eye causes the displacement of the corresponding lever and the partial release of the springs of both tensioning devices.

2. A tension regulating mechanism as defined in and claimed by claim 1 further characterized in that a screwthreaded rod is journaled in the frame, an operating button is carried by the rod and operable from outside the frame to turn the rod, a sliding nut is mounted on the rod and a projection on the nut is connected to the spring means attached to one of the levers whereby the working tension of the machine may be regulated according to the type and the condition of the thread used.

3. A tension regulating mechanism as defined in and claimed in claim 2 further characterized in that a locking device is mounted on the screw threaded rod to maintain the rod in its adjusted position.

4. A tension regulating mechanism as defined in and V claimed by claim 1 further characterized in that the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,209,839 Long July 30, 1940 2,554,493 Heizer May 29, 1951 2,629,561 Heizer Feb. 24, 1953 

